Typically, merchandising coolers have a vertical display area which is visible to the consumer through glass doors which may be hinged or which may slide for easy access to the display shelves positioned within the refrigerated compartment. The refrigerated compartment is cooled by a refrigeration unit that includes an evaporator assembly and a condenser assembly arranged in a closed circuit such that coolant (typically Freon) is pumped to the evaporator assembly by a compressor. The fan of the evaporator assembly distributes incoming return air from the refrigerated compartment to distribute the cooled air into the interior of the refrigerated compartment. The coolant is withdrawn from the evaporator coil in a gaseous state and pumped through a compressor to the condenser assembly to be condensed. After the coolant moves through the condenser assembly, it flows back to the evaporator to repeat the cycle.
Commonly, the condenser and evaporator assemblies are positioned separately and remotely from each other within the walls of the cooler. Most commonly the condenser assembly is located in the base of the cabinet and the evaporator assembly is located in the top of the cabinet. The origins of this arrangement are partly historical in that condensers and evaporators were often provided by respective suppliers who did not design their units to cooperate with each other. It thus became convenient to locate them separately and to complete the assembly after installation in the cabinet by providing appropriate electrical connecting means and tubular conduits for coolant flow between the condenser assembly and the evaporator assembly.
The “split. system” has inherent disadvantages which are apparent during assembly and servicing of the cooler cabinet. It will be appreciated that the assemblies cannot be tested until fully installed in the cabinet and that, if any problems are discovered, the entire cabinet must be accommodated so that it can at least be partially disassembled and retested. Similarly, when a cooler which has been in use is found to be defective, the entire cooler must be put out of service in order to carry out the appropriate repairs.
In order to overcome the previously-stated problems, the present invention provides a modular refrigeration unit that includes a condenser assembly and an evaporator assembly mounted on a common frame that is easily removable from the cooler for more efficient repair or replacement.